How to start?

texture

New member
Plugged in a guitar with some effects and I hear something I like. Roughly 12-16 bars of a beefy rhythm.

How do you take a rhythm and build a song around it? Where do I go from here to a finished song?

(just getting my recording rig setup and while I wait, I might as well start writing)

-David
 
Depends on how your creativity works. We're all different. Do you have just a rhythm or a rhythm with chords, or a rhythm with a melody,nor a rhythm with words and no tune? I suppose the important but is you. How do you create words music and rhythm? I personally cannot do words whatsoever. Never have been able to do lyrics. I always start with chords and style, and melodies suddenly pop into my head and fingers. My colleague starts with melodies and adds chords. I'm not sure we can really help as creativity is individual. do what your brain says!
 
In this case, I have a rhythm with chords. In the past, I've started with lyrics and could imagine the feel of what should go with each verse and the chorus. I just wasn't as serious about creating a recording at that point.

After posting this, I googled for music production process and it seems sensible to take the feel of this riff and sit down with pencil and paper to see what happens.
 
For me, the most natural is creating melodies, I find good to hear well the sound: an acoustic guitar played slowly while you are resting on a couch, and you can focus and concentrate on the sound of each note... Patiently. You can imagine everything else, but the sound (deep, profound from the acoustic guitar) is there.
Rhythm, riffs can be very inspiring, but I find tough to keep concentrated composing for a long time this way. So I usually first design the full melody of the song quietly.
 
Texture, yes >>> """After posting this, I googled for music production process and it seems sensible to take the feel of this riff and sit down with pencil and paper to see what happens."""

Or, strum and hum. After you work it out, turn the humming into words. What emotion does the music bring out?, sadness, happiness, angst, loss, reflection. Dig down and write from your experience, or, create a story.
 
Back
Top